What is the profile of an "Ivy caliber" applicant?

[pacheight]

<p>i’d say three key things make up the SB at a highly selective college:

1. GPA/SAT (with 6 + AP’s)
2. ethnicity and location (elite colleges want a diverse SB)
3. Passion (sports, academics, art, other…but have a strong focus/passion)</p>

<p>and #3 is weighted more than the other two.</p>

[sybbie719]

<p>According to the NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counselors) State of College Admissions:</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Factors in the Admission Decision</p>

<p>Grades in college preparatory courses, strength of curriculum, admission test scores, and overall grades were the top four factors in the college admission decision. </p>

<p>More than half of all colleges and universities rated each of these factors as “considerably important.”</p>

<p>A second set of factors were each rated as considerably important by 20 to 25 percent of colleges—essay or writing sample, class rank, student’s demonstrated interest in attending, counselor recommendation,
and teacher recommendation. These factors provide additional information
about students’ academic performance and interests, as well as their personal qualities.</p>

<p>Both SAT II scores and state graduation exam scores were among the lowest rated factors in admission decisions. Subject tests
were primarily used in highly selective admission, though they are used more often for placement rather than admission decisions.

</p>

<p>The report goes on to say</p>

<p>

Private colleges assigned greater importance than public colleges to many factors other than the top four, including the essay/writing sample, the interview, counselor and teacher recommendations, work and extracurricular activities, and demonstrated interest.</p>

<p>Private colleges also ascribed slightly more importance to grades in all courses in comparison to their public counterparts.</p>

<p>• Public colleges were more likely to consider class rank to be considerably
important, while private colleges most often rated it as moderately important.</p>

<p>More selective institutions tended to place greater emphasis on many of the factors beyond the top four. Because applicants to the most selective institutions often have similarly high grades and
test scores, these colleges need more information with which to evaluate each applicant. As a result, their admission process is more “holistic,” like
that of private and smaller colleges.</p>

<p>

</p>

[GA2012MOM]

<p>^^^^^^^^</p>

<p>Amen</p>

[vicariousparent]

<p>The more I read POIH’s posts the more I’ve come to appreciate his chutzpah in making bold assertions and willingness to stick to his guns. </p>

<p>While I don’t agree with everything he says, I do appreciate his tenacity and I believe he has made some valid points on this thread (at least the recent posts- haven’t read the older ones). </p>

<p>What he seems to be saying is that there is quite a bit of quantifiable predictability in the admissions process to the top colleges, though of course it is not 100% predictable. We can quibble about how quantifiable the process is, but it would be a mistake to think that the ‘holistic’ process is entirely qualitative.</p>

[mrscollege]

<p>I’m on page 268 of the menloparkmom vs POIH SMACKDOWN, and I have to say that POIH is winning.</p>

<p>But I’m still reading…</p>

<p>FWIW, I appreciate POIH’s armchair analyses. That’s what we’re all here for. Take what he/she says with a grain of salt and move on. Don’t understand the nastiness quite frankly.</p>

[mrscollege]

<p>Wow. I’m on post 315 now. MPM said she was “done with this conversation” pages ago. </p>

<p>She lied. </p>

<p>And then she took a swipe at his English (not his first language). Claasssy!</p>

<p>This is better than a Tyson boxing match! (OK, it’s not at all, but I’m bored.)</p>

[firehose]

<p>

I have to say that POIH is winning

</p>

<p>Ah, in light of post 161 I have to give it to menlo. I just can’t shake how wrong POIH is there, and how (s)he never backed down from it.</p>

<p>Oh, and POIH claims to leave at 334, they both can’t keep away. And to think, when I first saw this thread I thought it would quickly fade into the abyss of CC. I should know by now that anything that has to do with the Ivy league/HYSPMC will draw a ton of attention.</p>

[mrscollege]

<p>^ I know, altho POIH stayed away a bit longer. I missed him so I’m glad he’s back. It’s awesome.</p>

<p>MPM lost me when she said this:</p>

<p>

POIH, what you DON’T want to acknowledge, it seems, is that there are MANY really smart students at Menlo. Can you guess why? THEIR PARENTS ARE SMART TOO!. Their parents, many of whom who are brilliant entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, either went to Stanford, or came to Calif [ many from the east coast after graduating from IVY’s] and either started or work for very successful Hi Tech companies up and down the peninsula. Just like at Harvard, and other Ivy’s, the children of alumni don’t “fall far from the tree”, and are in many, if not most cases, equally smart and equally qualified academically for acceptance, compared to non-legacy applicants.

</p>

<p>MPM is smart. Did you hear that? SMART! She even capped it in case you missed it. ;)</p>

<p>And POIH won win he said this:</p>

<p>

I didn’t but as mentioned earlier we operate on different level. In our case DD came up with a list of good fit schools for her and not my wife or I.

</p>

<p>Two perfect examples of helicopter parenting and armchair research/observation.</p>

[mrscollege]

<p>I get amused by the nastiness I see on these threads. POIH offers opinions that many might disagree with but he doesn’t seem to get nasty so he seems cool. I like reading all the differing opinions.</p>

[firehose]

<p>We should get in a fight over who is winning.</p>

<p>Menlo makes some low blows and she does come off as a helicopter parent in that post. Although, I do not know if she actually is one; I don’t know who she is and I can’t and won’t try to determine her character off of an internet debate. I was going solely off of the advise that they were giving about the college admissions process, which is the main purpose of this forum.</p>

[GA2012MOM]

<p>,</p>

<p>Link wouldn’t work.</p>

[GA2012MOM]

<p>firehose, here is a helicopter parent.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/665449-relocating-d-east-coast-does-make-sense.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/665449-relocating-d-east-coast-does-make-sense.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>menloparkmom isn’t even in the realm of this.</p>

<p>ParentOfIvyHope
Senior Member</p>

<p>Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: California
Posts: 1,779 I’ll try to answer questions raised:</p>

<ol>
<li>D is our only child.</li>
<li>Yes, my wife never went to college away from home and since I stayed in college dorm after high school till the graduate school, so we have very different view of this situation.</li>
<li>My wife is going to be close to my D (within 50 miles) for the rest of her life. She will even move to another country. </li>
<li>If I won’t move even then my wife will. She is a school teacher and she is of the opinion that she will get a comparable job anywhere.</li>
<li>If the economy has not gone bad, changing jobs might not be hard for me either.</li>
<li>D will still be living in the dorm, my wife just want to be in 50 miles radius.</li>
</ol>

<p>I really don’t want my wife and I to be living separately, so it is becoming a bit hard for me. I tried telling her that it might be more important now to be making the sort of money we had for the next four year instead of moving and loose some or most of it.</p>

[marite]

<p>Even though I think that by now we all sound like broken records, I think we should stop dissecting personalities and scoring their performance as if they were Olympic contestants and get back to the actual topic of this thread.
The Cafe already provides enough entertainment, surely?</p>

[bovertine]

<p>

I get amused by the nastiness I see on these threads.

</p>

<p>Me too. Nastiness like this -</p>

<p>

Two perfect examples of helicopter parenting and armchair research/observation.

</p>

<p>It really amuses me.</p>

[bovertine]

<p>

Even though I think that by now we all sound like broken records, I think we should stop dissecting personalities and scoring their performance as if they were Olympic contestants and get back to the actual topic of this thread.

</p>

<p>Or maybe we abandon it, and let it creep it’s way to oblivion down the pages. It was an interesting thought at first, but I think if we had a “beating a dead horse” smilie we could replace most of the past 100 entries with it.</p>

<p>And yes, I realize I am now part of the problem for posting this and again bumping it up.</p>

[mrscollege]

<p>I think some posters are particularly nasty and deserve a comment about it. I don’t think my comment was nasty, btw. Just a heads-up to lighten up. </p>

<p>I don’t see anything wrong with being a helicopter parent, btw. Nor do I see anything wrong with armchair analysis.</p>

<p>Both types of parents comprise this board, and I learn a lot from both.</p>

[Pea]

<p>mrscollege – for some reason you singled out menloparkmom and I don’t know why. It could have have been me or other names I remember who took issue with ParentOfIvyHope’s views, (but not him personally). Of all the posters on here your posts have been the most full of personal attacks. You offered no new information, now opinions on the original topics, just trying to stir things up.</p>

[bovertine]

<p>

I don’t think my comment was nasty, btw. Just a heads-up to lighten up.

</p>

<p>My goodness, thank you for your wise counsel and astute analysis of your own comments. Right back atcha btw.</p>

[mrscollege]

<p>I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I? :P</p>

<p>This place is hilarious.</p>

<p>Is it too early for margaritas?</p>

[bovertine]

<p>

Is it too early for margaritas?

Judging from your posts, no time is too early for you. The question is are you old enough to legally drink them?</p>

<p>Do you actually believe you have made a valuable contribution to this thread?</p>